MovieChat Forums > Family Plot (1976) Discussion > Alan Fudge as the helicopter pilot

Alan Fudge as the helicopter pilot

posted 17 years ago by alfiehitchie
3 replies | jump to latest

I tried for months to get IMDb to list character actor Alan Fudge in the FAMILY PLOT cast for his unbilled bit as the helicoptor pilot. He picks up Karen Black in the beginning of the movie and takes her to William Devane who is waiting for the ransom diamond to be delivered. Finally, this week IMDb has added his (unbilled) credit. The reason that he was unbilled in the first place was that he was a replacement for the original actor (who shall remain nameless) that Hitch fired along with Roy Thinnes.

"It's only a mooovie!"

alfie

[–] ecarle 17 years ago

Oh, come on, Alfie...who was the nameless actor fired by Hitch?

Its a badge of honor.

P.S. Raymond Bailey (banker Drysdale on "The Beverly Hillbillies") played the shrink who tells Midge(Barbara Bel Geddes) about the catatonic breakdown of Scottie (James Stewart) in "Vertigo." Evidently, Bailey was rushed in on the spot to replace an actor who couldn't remember his lines on too many takes and was fired by Hitch. We'll never know HIS name, either.

[–] alfiehitchie 16 years ago

I never did find out. Ed Lauter told me about this three years ago and he never found out, either. It seems that he didn't begin filming until both Roy Thinnes and the unnamed actor were replaced. That shows how brief a time Thinnes spent on the picture.

"It's only a mooovie!"

alfie

[–] c7c7c7r 16 years ago

I always liked Ed Lauter--he plays mean guys to a T, but not without some interesting touches. He looked bizaar coming in the door of Arthur Adamson's jewelry shop.